The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-09
JACK, THE NoNDEscR1PT.
Something About a Remarkably Intel
ligent Bird.
From the Neto York Times.

From the NeW York Times.
Jack, the nondescript, one that has sorely
puzzled the greatest ornithologists of Amer
lea, and for which the sum of $1,000 has
frequently been offered and refused, died on
Thursday at the residence of its owner,
Capt Frederic Perkins, General Agent of
the Knickerbocker Steamboat Company, 35f
Seventh street, Brooklyn. He was a re-
markable linguist, and, although of ORR
entail nativity, spoke English with great
fluency. A Christian Chinaman, one of
thousands of people that visited the bird,
said that he was of a genus rare in the
Celestial Empire, but that specimens had
been infrequently seen within ten
miles of Canton, and he at
tributed to it many of the char
acteristics of the American starting.
His breast and back was of beautiful drab
or dove color, the wings and tail of rich vel
vety black tipped with white, the head sur
mounted with tuft of black hair-like
feathers; legs and bill yellow; long, sharp
talons, like those of a hawk, and small,
vicious gray eye of peculiar shape. He was
the size of a kingfisher Many fancied that
he was a Pagoda mynah (1emenuchNs
pngoddrntn) but the best authorities repudi-
ated the suggestion. Capt. Perkins received
the following from Prof. j. E. Holden, Of
the Central Park geological collection, after
forwarding minute description of the bird
and asking for its tribe:
DEAR SIR have looked over several
works that we have and find nothing con-
corning the creature. Woods Natural His
tory of Birds | thought would contain the
most particular account, but find that 1t
only repeats what we all know about
mynahs 1t says that the mynah is thought
to be equally intelligent with the gray par
rot, that is equally able to talk with any
other bird | don't know of a work to rec
ommend to you. General works on birds
are not common. / wish that could direct
you further, but doubt any ones ability
to find book with a reference to the sub
ject matter of your inquiry"
Cinnamon believe that because of the
startling intelligence and apparent CONVEX
sational mot merely verbal powers of the
bird that it was possessed of evil spirits.
His knowledge of Chinese was unbounded
Among his mimetic powers were accurate
limitations of coughing, sneezing. crying,
laughing, sharpening of knife, drawing
nails, grating nutmegs, saving wood, filing
saw, barking of dog, and other sounds,
given with wonderful precision. 1t actually
conversed with Capt. Perkins, and ap-
parently was made aware of the ap-
proach of his master by instinct So soon
as the Captain came near his home
the bird would screech a welcome of ''Hello,
cap, dinner is all ready" or, ''This way for
Rockaway, Capt." He whistled an air like a
human being and the house dog would re-
spond to his call He understood everything
that was said to him. The Captain, in
pleasant weather, would take Jack into the
street perched upon his shoulder, but his
affection for his master was so strong and so
wonderfully manifested that the latter had
no fear of his elopement "Ahl" said the
Captain to the writer, II almost feel as if
had lost a child Talk about his value-no
one could name his price to me-"